Question:
I have noticed in my dealings with non-native speakers of English that they
were obviously taught British English. I have questioned them on this, and the
majority of them have never been to the U.K. That's just how they were taught
in their country of birth. It seems that when English is taught in
non-English-speaking countries, British English is almost invariably taught
over American English. (Obviously, I am not referring to those who learned
English in the U.S.)
Now, it seems to me that since the majority of native speakers of English
reside in the U.S., it would behoove the educators in non-English speaking
countries to teach American English, rather than British English. I have
discovered that there are many who do not even know that there are differences
between British and American English. A few of the more ignorant ones (usually
from the Middle East and Eastern Europe) don't even know that the U.S. and the
U.K. are separate nations.
I have heard, however, that since a Japanese exchange student in the U.S. was
shot when he didn't understand a homeowner's command to "FREEZE!", there has
been a greater emphasis placed on the study American English, particularly
American slang, in Japan. Is this true?
This may seem a little off the subject, but I remember an old Soviet film (I
can't remember what it was called) about naval combat. They had a scene in
which Russian actors were playing American sailors on a submarine. Their
English was quite good, as I recall, but they were all speaking with British
accents. One sailor even used the phrase, "Bugger off!", a phrase definitely
NOT used in the U.S. A bunch of us had a good laugh over that one.
The main reason why I am asking this, other than idle curiosity, is that most
overseas ESL programs seem to prefer British English teachers rather than
American English teachers. Am I wrong about this?
Answer:
Pretty much wrong, yes. Primarily the English taught depends on which
sphere of influence a person resides. It is common for English students
in the Middle East to be taught British English, but it is unheard of in
much of East Asia (Japan, Korea, China).
Also, I'm not sure where you've seen job advertisements, but my
experience has been that more schools that declare a preference prefer
American English. There are quite a few countries where it is greatly
detrimental to a job search if you speak anything but American English.
Some places are anywhere in Latin America, Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam.
Of course, there are places where it is difficult for American English
speakers to get jobs, but there is definitely not a bias against
American English in overseas employment (with several notable
exceptions).
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